Volume I · Ashwin – Kartik
October
Cooling Sweetness — Navratri & Sharad Purnima
Sharad · autumnVolume II plan for October →
The season
Sharad (autumn)
| Aspect | In the book |
|---|---|
| Hindu months | Ashwin – Kartik |
| Ritu | Sharad (autumn) |
| Weather | ≈ 18 – 30 °C, clear skies, warm days, cool nights |
| Agni | Improving steadily |
| Dosha | Pitta at its peak (the 'October heat' after rains) |
| Favour | Sweet, bitter, astringent; ghee, milk, rice, moong, amla; mildly cooling |
| Limit | Chilli, sour pickles, excess salt, fermented food, curd at night, sun exposure at midday |
In season
Vegetables
Lauki, kaddu, sweet potato, singhara, arbi, early spinach & methi, beans, raw banana
Fruit
Pomegranate, guava, custard apple (sitaphal), apple, early amla, banana
Other
Samak rice, kuttu, rajgira, makhana (Navratri)
Festivals & observances
| Occasion | In the kitchen |
|---|---|
| Sharad Navratri (Ashwin Shukla) | Nine-day phalahari menu: samak khichdi, rajgira porridge, kuttu cheela, sabudana khichdi, makhana kheer, aloo–dahi (lunch). |
| Dussehra | Jalebi substitute: soft kesari; festive sattvic thali. |
| Sharad Purnima | Rice kheer kept briefly under moonlight — a Pitta-cooling tradition. |
| Karva Chauth / Diwali preparations | Soft mithai planning — see November. |
Kitchen guidance
- Ghee is the Sharad medicine — ½ tsp on rice and dal; reduce oil.
- Navratri: keep a full phalahari track daily; ensure protein (milk, paneer, makhana, rajgira).
- Bitter and astringent: pomegranate, amla, karela, lauki daily.
- Avoid fasting elders skipping fluids; offer coconut water and takra.
Daily rituals
- On waking
- Room-temperature water with soaked raisins (8–10) eaten
- At bedtime
- Warm milk with ghee and a pinch of cardamom
Seven-day menu
The week at the table
Monday
- Breakfast
- Rajgira–milk porridge with dates
- Lunch thali
- Whole green moong dal
- Sattvic palak paneer
- Kaddu khatta-meetha
- rice & phulka
- Lauki raita (lunch)
- Evening
- Roasted shakarkandi chaat
- Dinner
- Samak rice khichdi
- Sweet
- Sharad Purnima kheer (80 ml)
Tuesday
- Breakfast
- Samak upma · pomegranate
- Lunch thali
- Lauki–moong dal
- Arbi ajwaini
- Lauki–peas
- rice & phulka
- Pomegranate raita
- Evening
- Coconut water
- Dinner
- Moong khichdi
- Sweet
- Makhana kheer
Wednesday
- Breakfast
- Kuttu–lauki chilla (vrat) · curd
- Lunch thali
- Kerala parippu
- Shakarkandi–singhara sabzi
- Raw-banana poriyal
- rice & phulka
- Coconut chutney
- Evening
- Roasted makhana
- Dinner
- Lauki soup · phulka
- Sweet
- Singhara halwa (40 g)
Thursday
- Breakfast
- Sabudana khichdi (soft) · banana
- Lunch thali
- Moong yusha
- Beans thoran
- Bhindi with coconut
- rice & phulka
- Mint–coriander chutney
- Evening
- Pomegranate juice (fresh, room temp.)
- Dinner
- Kanji with ghee
- Sweet
- Coconut ladoo
Friday
- Breakfast
- Moong dal chilla · coconut chutney
- Lunch thali
- Masoor–lauki
- Paneer–capsicum (light)
- Karela with jaggery
- rice & phulka
- Spiced takra
- Evening
- Badam milk
- Dinner
- Pumpkin soup · rice
- Sweet
- Rajgira ladoo (soft)
Saturday
- Breakfast
- Rice idli · coconut chutney
- Lunch thali
- Toor dal (mild)
- Sattvic palak paneer
- Kaddu khatta-meetha
- rice & phulka
- Lauki raita (lunch)
- Evening
- Banana–cardamom
- Dinner
- Moong yusha · ghee rice
- Sweet
- Sitaphal rabdi (light)
Sunday
- Breakfast
- Oats porridge · guava
- Lunch thali
- Aloo–dahi curry (vrat, lunch)
- Arbi ajwaini
- Lauki–peas
- rice & phulka
- Pomegranate raita
- Evening
- CCF tea
- Dinner
- Namkeen dalia
- Sweet
- Kesari (40 g)
Nutrition
Energy in the featured recipes
Energy from protein, fat and carbohydrate
kcal per serving (protein & carbs × 4, fat × 9)
This month's six recipes
Vol I · Oct 1October
Rajgira–Milk Porridge with Dates (Navratri)
BreakfastAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
218 kcal7.5 g proteinSmooth porridge
View recipe →
Vol I · Oct 2October
Whole Green Moong Dal (Soft)
Lunch · DalAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
168 kcal9 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Oct 3October
Sattvic Palak Paneer
Lunch · SabziAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
244 kcal14.1 g proteinSmooth gravy, soft paneer
View recipe →
Vol I · Oct 4October
Roasted Shakarkandi Chaat
Evening · SnackAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
113 kcal2 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Oct 5October
Samak Rice Khichdi (Navratri)
DinnerAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
225 kcal4.3 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Oct 6October
Sharad Purnima Rice Kheer
SweetAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
161 kcal5.7 g proteinCreamy
View recipe →Signature dish